Get the Job Done: Lead Photographer for the National Brotherhood of Skiers Summit 2011

I'm blogging to you live today from Steamboat Springs, Colorado where the opening ceremonies for the National Brotherhood of Skiers Black Ski Summit 2011 will kick-off in about two hours. The NBS contracted me to serve as their event's lead photographer for the fourth consecutive year, and I'm looking forward to working for them and visiting a new city.

More than 800 registered NBS participants are in Steamboat for social events, parties, skiing activities, and races all geared toward raising funds to support the NBS Olympic Scholarship Fund designed to provide financial support for exceptional athletes of color who excel in winter sports. The intent is to propel these young athletes to Olympic and international competition. In addition, funds from this event support the operation of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. In past years, I've photographed NBS summits held in Breckenridge, Aspen/Snowmass and Winter Park.

This year, officials have asked me to focus on capturing more members engaged in skiing, snowboarding, racing and other activities and less on the social/party scene so the organization can use those images for gaining more advertisers and sponsorships.

Check out some highlights from last year's summit in Winter Park:



Here are some of my favorite action shots from previous years:













Check in for some daily blogs about the doings here in Steamboat and wish me luck!

Get the Goods: Two new must attend classes!

I'm psyched about some new classes being offered this month through Illuminate Photography Workshops.

Camera RAW: The Basics (followed by Camera RAW 2) taught by Master Retoucher, Photoshop Guru and Adobe Certified Expert, Armando Martinez is first on the list. Running Sept. 13, the three hour workshop will help me learn some tips to quickly process RAW files using Adobe Photoshop. I gave up a long time ago on including Lightroom in my post-production workflow. I work exclusively in Photoshop now and end up spending most of my time in Camera RAW -- only opening up Photoshop proper for some specific edits. I KNOW Mando will hook me up with some new tricks that will help speed up my editing even more.

Meanwhile, Event Photography, on Sept. 21 and 29, taught by Illuminate director Efrain Cruz and Photographer Jim Turley, will build on my own growing foundation on event coverage experience. Denver's central location and amazing outdoor activities continues to draw events ranging from concerts to conferences. My event photography coverage has grown so much this year alone that I even thought about specializing in it over portraiture. I have been the official photographer for the National Brotherhood of Skiers summits held in Colorado for the last three years. And this year, I was the official photographer for the Council on Foundation's Annual Conference held in Denver featuring numerous keynote speakers including Former Vice Pres. Al Gore. Check out my COF photos featured on this wrap-up page.



White House adviser Valerie Jarrett talks to philanthropists in Denver.

I went from shooting during mid-day on a snow-capped mountain to deep inside a dark and cavernous dance hall during this year's NBS coverage in Winter Park. Dealing with security, quick uploads and an insane pace during the COF conference left me exhausted for days afterwards. Instructors will give students techniques for overcoming challenges such as shooting in low light, scouting difficult venues, and satisfying organizations. Plus, we will get some hands-on training when we are invited to shoot alongside our instructors at a real event for a local non-profit!

Class sizes are kept small, so sign up today here! Would love to meet some of you.

Get the Job Done: First Animoto Video for a Client!

Check out my first Animoto video slideshow created for my client, National Brotherhood of Skiers. It took some time choosing the photos I wanted and placing them in a storytelling order, combining the text, and picking some appropriate music. But after about a half dozen recreations, I finally came up with a version that I think rocks. So far the NBS President Haymon Jahi has approved it; now I'm waiting for final approval from the NBS media division so I can burn a high resolution version onto a DVD and mail it to my client.


Please tell me what you think I can do to improve it. I hope the video will bring more visibility to the the NBS, a program that finds and develops Olympic caliber skiers.

Get the Job Done: Two NBS galleries posted

Did you attend an National Brotherhood of Skiers 2010 AMCC Summit Happy Hour or the Pajama Party? Check out photos from those two events now. Two new galleries of images have been posted on the Picture Your World Photography website.

To purchase a photo, click the BUY tab on the upper right hand corner of each individually displayed photo.
Choose either to buy "This Photo," or "Photos in this gallery" or "Package from this Pro."
Choose prints, merchandise or digital downloads placed directly on your computer for you to print or share yourself.

Pajama Party Gallery
Password: Winter Park




Happy Hour
Password: Winter Park



Use this special event link to check page when photos are posted from the Picnice on the Hill, Challenge Cup Race Winners, the Comedy Show and other summit events.

An Aside: Snowmobiling with a professional photographer

Image by Steven Willis Photography

During my National Brotherhood of Skier summit coverage in Winter Park this year, I carved out some free time to have some fun! I tried skiing for the first time. (Hated it, but I'm thinking I may do better if I take a private versus getting lost in a group class that's too large). I tried snowmobiling for the first time. I ROCKED IT! Can't tell you how much I loved it. Well, actually I can....since I did it TWICE!

I took a tour through Grand Adventurers. A tour guide teaches you how to operate the snowmobile, then leads you through a ride to the Continental Divide on trails through lovely scenery. Tours top out at nearly 12,000 feet with views of the entire Winter Park Ski area and the Fraser Valley. The second time I did the tour, I lucked out: turns out tour guide "Snowmobile Steve" was also professional photographer Steven Willis. All week, I had been seeing these fabulous photos showcasing the ski area, portraits taken in the mountains and other great winter experiences by Willis. I thought to myself how wonderful it would be to meet him.



Snowmobile Steve took several photos of me on my vehicle with my trusty Canon G9. But when he whipped out a professional grade Nikon and started shooting landscapes, all the pieces fell into place. I asked him what his name was, and he said, "Snowmobile Steve." "No! What's your real name? Is your last name Willis?" Yep, I was right! I felt honored to be having such a good experience with another photographer and I can't wait to purchase some of his tour shots. Here's a photo of Steve with the remnants of an old train track in the background:

It's so rare for me to actually get caught in front of the camera. So I was thrilled to have my photos taken by a professional during one of those rare moments when someone finally got to shoot me. Several of my friends say I look "hardcore Colorado" in these photos. I agree, and I hope this year will be the start of even more firsts that I really should have done ages ago: including camping, skydiving and white water rafting!

Get the Job Done: Covering the National Brotherhood of Skiers Summit for third year in a row!

WINTER PARK -- I'm happy to share that Picture Your World Photography was hired to cover the National Brotherhood of Skiers 2010 Annual Meeting & Challenge Cup Mini Ski Summit in Winter Park!

This is the third consecutive year the studio won the contract for coverage of this event, and I'm blogging live from the media room at Winter Park Resort. With 69 clubs throughout the United States and United Kingdom, NBS members gather to raise funds for the NBS Olympic Scholarship Fund and recognize two-time Paralympian Ralph Green and former NBS Ski Team and Olympian Errol Kerr.

I started my coverage Tuesday night when I shot an exclusive Comedy Show with Cocoa Brown


Wednesday I shot the annual "Picnic on a Hill" luncheon which is basically a snow party right at the base of a ski slope! Several of the key NBS members were interviewed for a local radio and television stations, so I shot photos during the interview. I also got to take shots of members skiing down the mountain as well as others dancing and enjoying the luncheon. Lots of fun, for sure!

Here are some of my favorite photos from last year's event held in Aspen/Snowmass:

Picnic on the Hill 2009




It always fills me with pride when I run into people who remember me as the official photographer from last year. It makes me feel as though I'm definitely part of the team. Today, I will be covering the Challenge Cup races and tomorrow night, a pajama themed party. I've been driving back and forth from Denver to Winter Park to save money on housing since the drive is only about 90 minutes. I want to use the savings so I can do something I've been vowing to do since NBS members have been on my case about it: I'm going to take my first ever ski lesson! But I won't do it until all of my shooting duties are done on Saturday, you know, just in case I fall and hurt something and can no longer shoot the event!

Here's what I can expect from today's Challenge Cup Races:

Business Briefs: NBS President Wants Me Back Next Year!

After reviewing the photos that I captured during their summit held in Snowmass/Aspen in February, the president of the National Brotherhood of Skiers verbally agreed to hire me again next year as the event's official photographer. That will make three years in the row that I have worked for the organization that finds and develops African American Olympic caliber skiers.

NBS President Haymon T. Jahi

"When people ask, I will tell them that we already have a photographer for the event," said current NBS prez Haymon T. Jahi. That's great news! And it's good to know so soon in advance as well so that I can make plans for the event which will likely be in Winter Park.



One of the reasons why I enjoy shooting this weeklong event is because of how much it challenges me both personally and professionally. Think of any difficult shooting situation you might find yourself in, and it's likely that I had to deal with those circumstances covering the NBS summit:

Shooting at high-noon against the backdrop of blazing white snow. Yep
Shooting indoors at night in barely-lit night club settings. Yep
Shooting indoors mixing flash with less than flattering tungsten lights. Yep

Talk about testing a photographer's mettle. I always walk away from the NBS events with a greater understanding of both my strengths and weaknesses as a growing photographer.

As far as personally -- well, I've lived in Colorado now for nearly 14 years and have yet to ski! I know, I know! I can hear all of my readers grumbling already, but I have to admit that I was afraid of the notion of speeding down a mountain side on two pieces of wood and metal. But covering the NBS means getting outside of that comfort zone, and I vow to take lessons next year!



Here's a shot of me wearing about 6 coats and some workout pants because I hadn't yet bought an appropriate ski gear. Hey, at least I had some waterproof Thinsulate boots! It's a work in progress, but at least next year I will have pants and a great ski jacket I purchased while in Snowmass.

From My Portfolio

I'm just about done editing all of my photos from the National Brotherhood of Skiers 2009 Summit, with just two more events to go! I've been uploading them to my business website so my client and choose the images she wants me to put on a DVD. You can see the galleries at the top of my CLIENTS page.

This shot is one of my favorites for its simplicity, composition and motion. I love how the colors of his ski suit standout against the white of the snow, and that rush of snow kicking up behind him captures the excitement of the moment. Even though I cropped out the trees in the far left-hand side of the frame to stop them from cluttering the background, I love the shadows they cast in the image, lending some extra texture.

On Assignment: Two Days in and Tired but Happy

What is it about photographing an event that makes my muscles feel like I've just run a marathon? Yesterday was my first day off and I was just about too sore to walk! My triceps and knees were burning, my eyes were strained and it took forever to force myself out of the comfort of my bed. I've been working like crazy and up on my feet for hours at a time is quite the workout. But when I finally got going, I felt pleased with the work I've done so far in Snowmass for the National Brotherhood of Skiers.

I left Denver Saturday afternoon, and It took me only 3 hours to drive to Snowmass because the weather was fabulous, sunny and bright. My first assignment was that same night, covering the Welcome Party at 9 p.m. hosted by Snowmass. My main assignment was to shoot the welcome comments from the NBS president Haymon T. Jahi and Snowmass city officials. The 900-strong group was deemed the largest to ever come to the ski resort town.





After that I was pretty much on my own to shoot whatever I thought showcased the event. The party was all about dancing.







What i wanted to capture during this event is all the happiness and joy people were experiencing when they reconnected with friends, many of whom they haven't seen since the NBS summit last year. I loved seeing the hugging, kissing and hand shaking. Even though most of the members live in states that don't have snow or skiing such as Florida or southern Texas, they share this passion for the sport that they only get to experience together in places like Colorado. Their enjoyment was infectious.



All of these photos have minimal editing, just sharpening, noise reduction and some curves adjustment. The NBS media director said she would like to look through some proofs and pick out the photos the she wanted me to edit in full to save time. She also suggested that I take fewer pictures, so I wanted to make each one count rather than shoot as many as I could.

This Weekend: On Assignment in Snowmass!

Image by ultimatetaxi.com

My boss at the Denver Post has allowed me to take vacation time next week so I can photograph the National Brotherhood of Skiers summit in Snowmass! Not only was she agreeable to the idea and understanding of the late notice, but she offered suggestions on where I could find cheaper hotel stays and appropriate ski clothing. Plus, she told me to concentrate on taking some stock photography shots so that I might be able to leverage more money from the event other than what the association is paying me.

I think I am truly blessed to have that kind of support for my photography efforts. The only thing she asked is that I finish everything I needed to get done this week so I can have an article run on Feb. 12.



I'm looking forward to this year's event because I think I'm better prepared. I feel more comfortable working with the organization's media relations director since last year's event was so successful, and the attendees will recognize me as their official event photographer from the previous summit.

Most of my equipment has been updated to models that will help me get the kind of shots I need. The Canon XTi was replaced by the Canon 5D which has proven to be an extremely sharp camera with excellent results. My new 70-200 2.8 lens will make capturing those ski races a breeze, while my 24-70 2.8 will make it easier to get great results even in low light while shooting dinner receptions, meetings and parties. A new MacBook Pro purchased last spring will help take my business mobile, allowing me to upload photos, edit them right after an event and load them to my website so attendees can view photos quicker. I've spent the year learning how to work with my Mac and I feel proficient. I also purchased an Epson P-4000 Hard Drive to upload and view photos, clearing out my memory cards.

To help make finding my photos easier for attendies, I'm going to use a tip from friend and photog Mark Hayes. Mark suggested that I create an empty gallery on my website labeled "NBS 2009" or something similar so I can have a URL that I can give to attendees. Here is the place where my photos from the event can be viewed. I will write that URL on the back of my business cards and make sure everyone has one before they leave.

I'm also planning on bringing my Alien Bee and Vagabond battery pack so I can set up some "photobooth" stations where attendes can get portraits of themselves shot. I even have warming packs to keep my batteries from freezing and shutting down on me like they did last year.

The only thing I wish I had that I wasn't able to purchase this year was a compact printer so I can make prints of edited photos on the spot. That will definitely be a purchase I need to make this year as I prepare for future assignments where I will be shooting on location away from my studio.

Can you think of anything I've forgotten or have any tips on shooting this assignment?

Growing Pains: The Call I Had Been Hoping For

Late last night, I got the call I had been hoping for: The National Brotherhood of Skiers would like to rehire me this year to cover their 2009 Summit in Snowmass. The NBS was pleased with the work I did for them last year during their 35th anniversary week in Breckenridge and wanted to give me the first chance to accept the assignment.

But there is a problem: the five day event starts THIS WEEKEND and runs through next Saturday, and I don't know if can get the time off from The Denver Post.



The organization only now received the clearance to have a budget for a photographer to cover their event, which explains the late notice. Like all nonprofits, the poor economy hit NBS hard and the organization has had to readjust its finances. However, it still believes in the importance of capturing images to preserve their social clubs activities, and they wanted to offer the opportunity to me first.



I'm not sure if my boss at the Post will be able to give me the time off at such short notice, but I will definitely ask. Perhaps there will be some way that I can combine my skills, shooting for the organization and writing an article for the Post.

But if I can't accept this assignment, then perhaps I can refer it to the new collective photographer and business strategist Jim Turley created this week.